System Recovery is a feature of Microsoft Windows that allows a user to restore their computer to any state, including system files, installed applications, Windows registry and system settings from an earlier stage and can be used to recover from system failures and other problems. Originally included in Windows ME, System Restore now includes the following desktop versions of Windows versions, except Windows Server. In earlier versions of Windows, the feature was based on a file filter that looked for changes to certain file extensions and copied files when they were overwritten.
Restore points, in some situations, can be your best friend.
But what’s a restore point?
A restore point is a snapshot of your Windows system files, installed applications and more at a given time. Windows Restore differs from backups because it only works on the underlying Windows system on your hard drive.
When Windows creates a restore point, it is stored on your computer’s hard drive and used to restore your Windows installation to its previous state before it is deleted. Recovery points are also created when Windows updates the system or makes other important changes, such as installing new software.
System Recovery is a handy recovery tool, but it is disabled by default for some odd reason, which means that you need to enable it before Windows 10 creates a restore point for you. If you haven’t already done this, do it now! If a critical issue occurs, such as installing a system update, device driver or application or changing system settings using a registry tool, you can use one of the available restore points to reset the computer at an earlier stage and resolve the problem without losing your files. It can be the difference between losing work or not!
System images can help you perform a full recovery of your operating system if a hard drive is not working properly. By default, system images contain all the drives required to run Windows, including Windows, your system settings, programs, and personal files.
In most cases, a Windows system file, registry entry, or application can be added or deleted by selecting “Recover,” “Create,” “Remove,” “Revert,” or “Modify.” This process does not remove user documents or other files that you have created or added since the restore point was created. For most intents and purposes, you’ll simply be using the “create” option to set new restore points as need be.
Resetting your PC is a feature that returns Windows to its factory state and performs a clean install of Windows while keeping your personal files intact. This way, if you decide that a major change was a mistake, you can return to an earlier version of your Windows installation. You create a safety net that allows you to return to something you didn’t think would work on your computer, so really, you shouldn’t be looking for this option unless you truly do need a reset.
If you want to backup your personal files, you can use the file history option or cloud storage services such as OneDrive or Dropbox. Cloud services are always suggested, as system restore isn’t always completely infallible, there are some cases in which it doesn’t capture everything. Always remember that System Recovery cannot restore exact personal files so it is not a stopgap solution if you forget to backup your data or if you want to restore changes to files. You can undo a System Restore, sure, but it will not solve the problem if it gets worse. You lose all of the work you have done since the creation of a particular point in time, the so-called restore point, and you also lose all the unwanted changes that have been done without your permission.